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My First Flight
I am from a small town and had seen the airplane flying over my town that is also from too far.
I do use to enjoy watching planes.
I still remember how I used to run out to watch the plane after hearing the noise of the plane.
I never had a thought of traveling via air. And I didn't even know that domestic flights don't require a passport, but looking at air tickets I never think of trying once.
One day I was working and one email came to my inbox, this email was not Normal email it was an invitation to Berlin in Germany.
My happiness was out of this world and I felt so happy that I forgot everything and what I was on.
So what was the invitation for? It was an email from my client and he wanted to meet me regarding his business meeting, so, I started following the process for visa and passport and whatever is required.
Eventually I had just applied for my passport and it was about to come, then I realized that "Things which happens, happens for some reason". Why do I think so? Because, Since last 8 years, I was trying to apply for a passport and somehow I couldn't complete the process and this time I was successful in getting my passport.
So, I forward that email to the HR department and they have arranged the air ticket and visa appointment and whatever required. Unfortunately, I had very short time for doing these all things to get a visa on time and my finger was crossed.
So, long story short, I got tickets and visa and all that in time. My flight was from Mumbai and I travel to Mumbai from Pune via cab and I reached 5 hours early to the airport.
Wow, what an amazing airport, it is just beautifully build and very well arranged. I had a flight at 1 am and I had reached there at 8 pm, I had penalty of time.
I was waiting for my flight and the time was like it was just stopping and then I heard an announcement for the boarding and I saw one queue it was just created in a second there was many people like me who are waiting for the announcement for the boarding.
Now I was moving towards my flight and Pilot of flight with air hostess welcoming all passengers and I get my seat unfortunately it was not a window seat but one beside to it. It was night and nothing was visible from window expext lights.
Now the flight was ready to take off and my excitement was increasing. Slowly the flight reached to its runway and then the pilot said we are ready to take off. Then the flight had taken a sudden speed and in the count of 5 I was above the land.
There was vibrations when the flight was running on the runway and I was trying to look out of the window. The man on Window seat notice me that I am trying to look out he looked at me and smile. We had a short conversation and then he slept. It was too noisy in plane and wondered how people can sleep! I was excited and tired, but also not at all sleepy.
After few minute dinner was served on seat and me and the man beside me took food and he then went to the toilet. That was the perfect time for me to look out and I sat on Window seat, I was on height and everything out of the window looking too small of course there was dark and small lights 😁.
When he came back, I was giving him his seat, but he said, be sat there only, I will sit here. What a nice man! I said thanks...
Now everybody was sleeping and I was also a bit sleepy, but it was too noisy to sleep.
My flight was about to reach to Munic city in Germany as it was connecting flight so, I had a layover of 45 min for the next flight to Berlin.
The plane was too noisy and my excitement was dying because of this and I only one thought, just reached early and get out of this plane and according to flight tickets, landing was at 6 am. I looked into watch and it was almost 6am but wait, the plane was still on air and there were no announcement for landing. After few minutes Pilot said we are still 3:30 hours away and I realized that it's the time zone difference, the time of ticket is about time in Berlin.
So finally I reached to Munic and I had 45 mins for the next flight. Wait, what! Only 45 mins!!! Oh man it was too short time.
So, I had to rush and catch another flight by passing immigration process. I get down from my flight and what I see, there was a huge queue for immigration process, I just crashed that queue (as I am also Indian 😁) And run forward and merge into a queue. One of the security officers caught me breaking queue and he came to me and said, hey you must not be doing this, I said nothing and nodded my head yes. As soon as he turned over I run again 😂.
So, it was getting late and immigration officer was doing timepass with his coworker. Even after completing all necessary things he was not giving me back my passport, I told him, Sir, please be fast, I have to catch another flight. But he didn't listen to me and only because of him I got in trouble.
The next terminal was on the other side of the airport, as soon as I got my immigration completed there, I run towards my gate number 9 as per the Notice boards showing my flight will be boarding from gate number 9.
So was running and following boards and navigator to my gate number 9.
I RUN up, down and lower down the floor and to go to the other side of the airport there was underground train.
I saw the train was just about to leave and jump into it and the door closed. Other passengers in the train were looking at me like I did something wrong. Ignoring them, I reached to the other side of the airport and again started running towards gate number 9.
I had only 5 minutes to reach there and I run so fast and before a minute I reached to gate number 9 and what I saw there? Nobody, nobody was there!!! I was alone, under the worry of missing a flight and nobody was there to whom I can ask what happened here? I thought I missed the flight. I searched for flight board and came to know that the gate has been changed from 9 to 11 and it was quite long distance between these two gates. I reached at gate number 11, officers confirm that I missed my flight.
Now what? Where to go now? I was alone in different countries and the people was also not very help full. I took a deep breath to cool down. I then searched for customer service and complain about the change in gate number of last time and I missed my flight. She listens to me and tried to arrange me in another flight.
She asked me, sir, should I book tickets for you in next flight, I said, "Of course". She said next flight is at 9am and it is full, after that it is at 12 noon and it issssss also full. I was thinking where to go if I didn't get any seat today, and I have a meeting tomorrow. Meanwhile, she said, sir, there's a seat available in flight at 3pm. I said OK, go ahead.
I got new flight at 3 pm and it was just 7:15am only. I was tired and hungry also. As I could not sleep in flight and I had to wait for the next flight till 3 pm. I asked customer service lady weather I can go out and came back for my flight, she refused this and suggest me to be here at the airport till that time as I had already gone through the immigration process.
So, I searched my gate number according to ticket and looked for a place to sleep. I put my backpack down and used it as a pillow and slept for a while.
I made my lunch with bananas, which I had bought for 4 euro what means 320 Indian rupees and that too only 4 bananas. I am not foody person and very much choosy in food. So I found banana as the best option for lunch.
Now it was boarding time, which has been already 30 minutes late and after boarding, the pilot announced that we have to wait for an hour as air traffic is not clear. Every passenger has reacted like Oooo.
Finally, I reached in Berlin at around 7pm German time and my bag was missing.
It was summer season and at 8pm I reached to a hotel and there was still sun in the sky and I was feeling like it is 4pm now but it was 8pm.
I was very much hungry and tired and I was confidant on one thing that I will not get Indian food there. So I got fresh and started hunting good restro for dinner. The main issue was language, locale shopkeeper there don't know English and I don't know german language, so it was fun for asking the food. Finally, I saw some vegetables on display, so I asked him to give me those and all these conversations happened in nonverbal communication 😂.
It was fun and very much new experience for me and I enjoyed all these things happened.
I spent 10 days there and every day was.......
To be continued...
@AtulPurohit #travelstory
I do use to enjoy watching planes.
I still remember how I used to run out to watch the plane after hearing the noise of the plane.
I never had a thought of traveling via air. And I didn't even know that domestic flights don't require a passport, but looking at air tickets I never think of trying once.
One day I was working and one email came to my inbox, this email was not Normal email it was an invitation to Berlin in Germany.
My happiness was out of this world and I felt so happy that I forgot everything and what I was on.
So what was the invitation for? It was an email from my client and he wanted to meet me regarding his business meeting, so, I started following the process for visa and passport and whatever is required.
Eventually I had just applied for my passport and it was about to come, then I realized that "Things which happens, happens for some reason". Why do I think so? Because, Since last 8 years, I was trying to apply for a passport and somehow I couldn't complete the process and this time I was successful in getting my passport.
So, I forward that email to the HR department and they have arranged the air ticket and visa appointment and whatever required. Unfortunately, I had very short time for doing these all things to get a visa on time and my finger was crossed.
So, long story short, I got tickets and visa and all that in time. My flight was from Mumbai and I travel to Mumbai from Pune via cab and I reached 5 hours early to the airport.
Wow, what an amazing airport, it is just beautifully build and very well arranged. I had a flight at 1 am and I had reached there at 8 pm, I had penalty of time.
I was waiting for my flight and the time was like it was just stopping and then I heard an announcement for the boarding and I saw one queue it was just created in a second there was many people like me who are waiting for the announcement for the boarding.
Now I was moving towards my flight and Pilot of flight with air hostess welcoming all passengers and I get my seat unfortunately it was not a window seat but one beside to it. It was night and nothing was visible from window expext lights.
Now the flight was ready to take off and my excitement was increasing. Slowly the flight reached to its runway and then the pilot said we are ready to take off. Then the flight had taken a sudden speed and in the count of 5 I was above the land.
There was vibrations when the flight was running on the runway and I was trying to look out of the window. The man on Window seat notice me that I am trying to look out he looked at me and smile. We had a short conversation and then he slept. It was too noisy in plane and wondered how people can sleep! I was excited and tired, but also not at all sleepy.
After few minute dinner was served on seat and me and the man beside me took food and he then went to the toilet. That was the perfect time for me to look out and I sat on Window seat, I was on height and everything out of the window looking too small of course there was dark and small lights 😁.
When he came back, I was giving him his seat, but he said, be sat there only, I will sit here. What a nice man! I said thanks...
Now everybody was sleeping and I was also a bit sleepy, but it was too noisy to sleep.
My flight was about to reach to Munic city in Germany as it was connecting flight so, I had a layover of 45 min for the next flight to Berlin.
The plane was too noisy and my excitement was dying because of this and I only one thought, just reached early and get out of this plane and according to flight tickets, landing was at 6 am. I looked into watch and it was almost 6am but wait, the plane was still on air and there were no announcement for landing. After few minutes Pilot said we are still 3:30 hours away and I realized that it's the time zone difference, the time of ticket is about time in Berlin.
So finally I reached to Munic and I had 45 mins for the next flight. Wait, what! Only 45 mins!!! Oh man it was too short time.
So, I had to rush and catch another flight by passing immigration process. I get down from my flight and what I see, there was a huge queue for immigration process, I just crashed that queue (as I am also Indian 😁) And run forward and merge into a queue. One of the security officers caught me breaking queue and he came to me and said, hey you must not be doing this, I said nothing and nodded my head yes. As soon as he turned over I run again 😂.
So, it was getting late and immigration officer was doing timepass with his coworker. Even after completing all necessary things he was not giving me back my passport, I told him, Sir, please be fast, I have to catch another flight. But he didn't listen to me and only because of him I got in trouble.
The next terminal was on the other side of the airport, as soon as I got my immigration completed there, I run towards my gate number 9 as per the Notice boards showing my flight will be boarding from gate number 9.
So was running and following boards and navigator to my gate number 9.
I RUN up, down and lower down the floor and to go to the other side of the airport there was underground train.
I saw the train was just about to leave and jump into it and the door closed. Other passengers in the train were looking at me like I did something wrong. Ignoring them, I reached to the other side of the airport and again started running towards gate number 9.
I had only 5 minutes to reach there and I run so fast and before a minute I reached to gate number 9 and what I saw there? Nobody, nobody was there!!! I was alone, under the worry of missing a flight and nobody was there to whom I can ask what happened here? I thought I missed the flight. I searched for flight board and came to know that the gate has been changed from 9 to 11 and it was quite long distance between these two gates. I reached at gate number 11, officers confirm that I missed my flight.
Now what? Where to go now? I was alone in different countries and the people was also not very help full. I took a deep breath to cool down. I then searched for customer service and complain about the change in gate number of last time and I missed my flight. She listens to me and tried to arrange me in another flight.
She asked me, sir, should I book tickets for you in next flight, I said, "Of course". She said next flight is at 9am and it is full, after that it is at 12 noon and it issssss also full. I was thinking where to go if I didn't get any seat today, and I have a meeting tomorrow. Meanwhile, she said, sir, there's a seat available in flight at 3pm. I said OK, go ahead.
I got new flight at 3 pm and it was just 7:15am only. I was tired and hungry also. As I could not sleep in flight and I had to wait for the next flight till 3 pm. I asked customer service lady weather I can go out and came back for my flight, she refused this and suggest me to be here at the airport till that time as I had already gone through the immigration process.
So, I searched my gate number according to ticket and looked for a place to sleep. I put my backpack down and used it as a pillow and slept for a while.
I made my lunch with bananas, which I had bought for 4 euro what means 320 Indian rupees and that too only 4 bananas. I am not foody person and very much choosy in food. So I found banana as the best option for lunch.
Now it was boarding time, which has been already 30 minutes late and after boarding, the pilot announced that we have to wait for an hour as air traffic is not clear. Every passenger has reacted like Oooo.
Finally, I reached in Berlin at around 7pm German time and my bag was missing.
It was summer season and at 8pm I reached to a hotel and there was still sun in the sky and I was feeling like it is 4pm now but it was 8pm.
I was very much hungry and tired and I was confidant on one thing that I will not get Indian food there. So I got fresh and started hunting good restro for dinner. The main issue was language, locale shopkeeper there don't know English and I don't know german language, so it was fun for asking the food. Finally, I saw some vegetables on display, so I asked him to give me those and all these conversations happened in nonverbal communication 😂.
It was fun and very much new experience for me and I enjoyed all these things happened.
I spent 10 days there and every day was.......
To be continued...
@AtulPurohit #travelstory
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